How to Create a Safer, More Comfortable Bathroom

Try these no-reno updates for an inviting, clutter-free, slip-proof space with everything you need for bathing and grooming

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Tubs with relaxing jets. Showers with massaging handheld sprayers. Heated toilet seats. The newest bath innovations create spalike sanctuaries. But for many of us, this room is still filled with safety hazards, including hard surfaces and slippery floors.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that between 2016 and 2020, older adults sustained more than 97,000 injuries each year from falls around the bathtub alone. Fortunately, there are ways to make your bathroom safer and more comfortable—no renovation required.

Your bathroom should provide a sense of well-being, says Deborah Rozell, president of Innovative Inclusive Design and a certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS)—but it can’t do that if you don’t feel secure navigating it. And although it’s tempting to let aesthetics take the lead when it comes to your shower and tub, water and tile can be a slippery combination. Making a few adjustments in and around bathing areas can help you enjoy your shower time with less worry.

Get Good TractionFalls are a huge concern in a bathroom, but there’s a lot you can do to mitigate that risk. If your shower or tub floor is slippery, you can use products that apply traction to tiles, says Russell Kendzior, president of the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Made with a mild acid, these solutions aren’t a coating but a scrub that you use on the surface to break down the buildup of soil and soap and micro-etch it, improving slip resistance. Try the SlipDoctors Stone Grip Anti-Slip Floor Treatment (Amazon, $65), which works on porcelain and ceramic as well as stone.

Outside the shower or tub, choose a bath mat with a nonskid bottom. Mats with a thick pile made from long-staple cotton yarns are particularly soft and absorbent, like Frontgate’s Resort Collection Skid-Resistant Bath Rug (Frontgate, from $59).

When you clean the floor, use products that don’t leave a slippery residue. The NFSI tested 17 common ones and found that a surprising 12 of them left residue on the floor that reduced traction. So look for residue-free products (labeled as such on the packaging) like Bona’s Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner (Home Depot, $20 for 128 ounces). If your floor tile is slippery, you can use the same traction product you use for the shower.

Seat YourselfA stylish shower bench can provide support while you bathe or just serve as a place to rest and relax. Vince Butler, a CAPS builder who serves on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers Council, recommends the Invisia line from HealthCraft Products for attractive bench options. They’re not inexpensive, he says, but they’re exceptionally well built and come in a range of styles. Invisia’s SerenaSeat (HealthCraft Products, $450) affixes to a wall and folds up, which saves valuable shower space when it’s not in use, but it does require some drilling. There are also plenty of freestanding shower benches in different sizes and styles, though many aren’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Butler doesn’t recommend those for people with mobility issues. But a bench like the Genuine Teak Spa or Shower Seat (Home Depot, $100) makes a good surface for bath accessories.

Simplify Your FaucetConsider replacing your tub and shower fixtures with single-lever controls like Glacier Bay’s Dorind Single-Handle 1-Spray Tub and Shower Faucet (Home Depot, $199). A lever is easier to grasp than a knob, Rozell says, and having just one handle for temperature control allows for finer adjustments than separate ones for hot and cold.

Rethink Your ShowerheadIf you’ve always had a fixed showerhead, you might appreciate the flexibility of a handheld style, which has a long hose (look for one that’s 59 inches) and a sprayer head. You can use it hands-free when the sprayer head is resting in a holder at typical showerhead height, or as a hand shower whether you’re standing or seated in the shower or tub. (Bonus: It’s great for rinsing off the walls or shower door when you’re cleaning.) For even more versatility, choose a style that slides up and down on a vertical side bar, so that you can raise or lower it to your desired height without having to hold it as you bathe. Kohler’s Awaken 27.25" Shower Slide Bar (Home Depot, $51) comes in a few different finishes.

Top Picks in ShowerheawdsHere’s a look at four top-rated options from our showerhead ratings:

Ceiling fixtures provide overall illumination, but don’t forget to place task lighting in areas where better visibility could prevent accidents: by the sink, near the toilet, and above the tub or shower.

Try dimmable or even multicolored bulbs, says Paul Harris, PhD, a social psychologist at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. The Philips Hue 100W A21 LED Smart Bulb (Best Buy, $65) lets you adjust the intensity and color of the light from bright white as you’re getting ready in the morning to a warm glow when you wind down in the evening.

Position night lights by the toilet and sink to help you navigate in the dark. Choose ones that stay on rather than motion-sensor lights, so that you can see where you’re going before you enter the bathroom.

Drawers and cabinets should be easy to reach and open. Consider replacing knobs with lever or bar handles, and look for units with slide-out shelves. Organizers like the Lynk Professional Undersink Cabinet Organizer (Lowe’s, $59) can be screwed into your existing cabinets.

Make essentials more accessible by relocating items that don’t need to be in the bathroom. For example, cleaning products and detergents take up a lot of room and you probably don’t use them every day. Move them to a utility closet instead.

If you’re doing a bigger update and have an electrician on the job, installing an outlet inside your vanity storage can help keep appliances like hair dryers neatly corralled and away from water.

Storage areas are also great spots to add personal touches that won’t get in the way. Display a small plant on a shelf—a ZZ plant (The Sill, $48) can tolerate minimal lighting—or stock a shower caddy with body scrubs or a gel-like lavender-tonka Lush Sleepy (Lush, $25 for 8.4 fluid ounces) to fill the space with a fragrance you love.

If your toilet predates the mid-1990s, when water conservation regulations for household toilets changed, it might be time to replace it. You’ll see savings in your water bill, and you can choose one with a size and shape that best fit your bathroom and your personal preferences. While you’re at it, consider installing a grab bar nearby (and in the shower, too).

Choose the Right ToiletMany of CR’s highest-rated toilets cost between $200 and $400, and some are priced even lower. They come in single- and dual-flush models. (The latter let you choose between two flush rates, one lower for liquid waste and the other higher for solid waste.) And they’re pretty straightforward to replace, says Chris Regan, a senior test engineer at CR, especially for a plumber or handyperson.

It’s a good idea to choose one that’s easier to sit down on and stand up from. These models, like the two top-rated styles shown below, are often described as “comfort height,” and measure between 17 and 19 inches from floor to toilet seat. Elongated seats are typically more comfortable than round ones, though a round bowl takes up less space (helpful in a tight bathroom).

If you’d like to update your existing toilet, you can add height by replacing the seat with a taller one, like Kohler’s Hyten Elevated Quiet-Close Elongated Toilet Seat (Wayfair, $100). Or place a toilet riser—for example, the Vive Toilet Seat Riser (Amazon, $65)—beneath the seat you have now. Just don’t go too high: Your heels should touch the floor when you’re seated, says Vince Butler, a home builder.

Top Picks in ToiletsThe best toilets from CR’s evaluations can make your loo time more comfortable. For additional options, see our toilet ratings and buying guide.

CR’s testers use polyethylene balls, sponges, and paint to simulate waste, flushing them through transparent piping to evaluate the performance of the models in our ratings.

Weigh the Benefits of a BidetDuring the pandemic’s toilet paper shortage, bidet seats and attachments went from a curiosity to a coveted convenience. The truth is, they aren’t intended to replace toilet paper entirely. Still, a good bidet will help you use a lot less of it—a boon for your budget and the environment. As you shop, you’ll see both seats and attachments that spray water to cleanse your backside.

Bidet seats replace your existing toilet seat, and they can be mechanical (relying on water pressure to send a stream of water upward) or mechanical and electric (using an electric pump to power the stream). Some even have a range of features, though not all of them are necessary. For instance, the Brondell Swash 1000 Advanced Bidet Toilet Seat (Brondell, $600) has a heated seat and a warm air dryer, and uses warm water.

Bidet attachments connect to your existing seat and they’re mechanical, so you won’t need to plug them in. Some come with water-pressure control and self-cleaning nozzles, like the Luxe Bidet Neo 120 (Amazon, $36).

Install Grab BarsA grab bar positioned by the toilet can support you and provide a general sense of comfort and stability as you move around the room. “I call them the seat belts of our bathroom,” Butler says. They’re also better than toilet support rails—frames that rest on the toilet or freestanding ones—because they’re designed to support your full body weight, while most toilet frames aren’t, according to Butler.

And good news: These safety aids don’t have to be eyesores. “People may think, ‘Ugh, my space is going to look like a hospital room’—and it doesn’t have to,” says Deborah Rozell, an aging-in-place specialist. Many options can match the style and finish of the rest of your bathroom hardware. Kohler’s Grand Grab Bar (Wayfair, $108) comes in several finishes and three lengths, and you’ll find plenty of other styles from other brands. Moen’s Home Care 8-inch x 1-inch Screw Grab Bar with Integrated Paper Holder (Home Depot, $47) functions as a toilet paper holder, too. As you shop, look for grab bars that are ADA-compliant or compliant with accessibility standard A117.1. That will ensure they support 250 pounds of weight.

Install the bars horizontally 33 to 36 inches high beside the toilet and in the shower or tub—and any other place you might like some extra support. Both ends of the bar should be anchored into wall studs or solid framing, or with hollow-wall anchors. If you’ve never installed one, search the directory of the National Association of Home Builders to find a local certified expert to do the job. Tip: Don’t place towel bars where you might be tempted to grab them; they aren’t designed to support you.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the August 2023 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Molly Bradley

Molly Bradley is a home and appliance writer at Consumer Reports. Before joining CR in 2023, she managed the editorial team at Digg, and has devoted her career to helping readers navigate the world and make their lives a little easier, elucidating topics in technology and culture. Molly earned a master’s degree in writing from Bennington College and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her cat, Saltine. Follow her on Twitter @mollyguinn.